


Sand and Stone

by luckypixi



Category: Sahara (2005)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23394031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckypixi/pseuds/luckypixi
Summary: During some well deserved down-time after a busy survey in Australia, Dirk, Al and the crew relax on a picturesque Australian beach. Little do they know, it's not just Moroccan camels who seem to have a grudge against Al...Worried Dirk, Poor Al.
Relationships: Al Giordino/Dirk Pitt
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Sand and Stone

**Author's Note:**

> My first foray into one of my favourite fandoms. I have lots of ideas, so watch this space! Please let me know what you think!

Dirk sighed contentedly and stretched out his feet, digging his toes into the warm sand. The hot sun beamed down on the beach around him, sending out the delicious smell of ozone, saltwater and sand which Dirk often craved.   
The NUMA team were due to leave Australia tomorrow, a successful coral reef survey had lifted all their spirits and the Admiral had graced them with one days leave; refuelling on the Marie was taking longer than planned and he knew how his crew got antsy if not allowed to stretch their legs. Rudi was sat in the middle of a group of about ten of their sunbathing crew-mates, a big floppy hat on his head, red faced. But he looked happy enough; he even had his laptop at his fingers, typing away. Well, you could take the man out the office, figured Dirk. 

Speaking of the Admiral; Dirk huffed out a laugh when he looked over to the older man, adorned in a sophisticated Hawaiin shirt and cargo pants, Sandecker was happily puffing away on one of his infamous cigars with his eyes closed, sun in his face while sat in one of their rented deck chairs. Even Admirals needed a day off, Dirk figured. 

He turned slightly on his towel, scanning the beach for the most important man in his life. Al wasn’t a sit-in-the-sun type of guy and had meandered off about twenty minutes ago to look for a cold drink. Al’s empty towel was full of sand grains and Dirk shook them off, sitting up now. The beach was quite busy, school was out this time of year so it was full of local kids; they didn’t pick a tourist beach for this reason. He was about to get up and go look for his partner when he heard his guffawing laugh. Looking now over to the sea cascading in front of them, he caught sight of his bright blonde hair and garish red and yellow swimming shorts. He was stood out in the surf, arms outstretched as he reached to catch a thrown Frisbeee. 

Dirk leaned back lazily on his elbows to watch his partner successfully catch the disk and hurl it back to the local group of boys he’d tagged himself on to. Al laughed as the boy fell backwards into the water and he whooped joyfully. It had been a busy time for all of them and Al had been kept busy with last minutes engineering repairs, sometimes in the middle of the night; he deserved a break. Dirk pulled out his phone to check the reservation he had made at the hotel restaurant that night for the two of them when he heard a sound which made him throw the phone to the ground. 

‘Aaaah!’   
He watched as Al picked himself back up from where he himself had just fallen, frisbee in hand, but Dirk knew instantly something was wrong; Al had a panicked, pained look on his face, skin paler than usual.   
‘Hey, man! Get up! Get out!’   
One of the boys wearily, but quickly waded over to Al and grabbed his arm; Dirk was on his feet and running when he watched Al stumble and fall back down.

‘Ow, shit! Shit shit!’ Al mumbled as Dirk reached him. Dirk was about to grab him when the boy pushed him roughly back.

‘Not too close! Look where you’re putting your feet!’

Dirk looked down at the crystal clear water, stones and sand under his feet.  
Stones Maybe not stones at all….

Dirk, suddenly understanding, nodded and took a step forward to grab Al by the arm, pulling him into his body and hoisting him into a fireman lift. It was testament to how much pain Al must’ve been in, because he didn’t make a sound.

‘What’d I tell ‘ya about your big feet, Al?’ Dirk grunted as he reached shore, Rudi and the Admiral now stood on their feet, watching. ‘Always getting you into trouble’

‘Ow! Shut up Dirk, owww.’ 

Dirk laid his partner down on the sand and took a good look. Al’s face was scrunched up in pain, whimpers escaping every now and then. 

‘My foot!’ he gasped breathlessly, ‘Jesus, my foot!’

‘Dirk, look!’ Rudi was knelt on Al’s other side; he pointed. 

Dirk looked at Al’s feet and his stomach dropped when he saw a barb sticking out of the sole of Al’s foot, blood trailing down and staining the sand. A Stonefish barb. 

‘Ah!’ Al tried to move his foot from Dirk’s grasp, but the other man held firm. Al let out another pained moan, back arching against the pain. A crowd had gathered around them now and someone pushed a bottle of spring water into his hands; Dirk quickly poured it over the wound, washing away some of the blood and sand debris. Al hissed and clenched his teeth at the pain. He heard someone else shout at the food and drink vendor and a big bowl of hot water was soon brought across. Dirk watched as the steamy bowl was wedged into the sand, someone else reaching forward to grasp Al’s foot and dunk it in the water. Al looked down with wide eyes and thunked his head back into the sand as the hot water warmed the wound site. 

A woman pulled out her phone and dialled.  
‘Hey, you with him?’ She called to Dirk, who nodded. ‘How much does he weigh? Did anyone see the fish?’

Dirk answered her question, eyes locked on Al’s face, which was pinched in pain. 

‘Don’t touch the barb, you need to leave it in!’ Rudi barked, pulling off his shirt to use as a makeshift padding for the wound when needed. 

To Dirk’s alarm, Al’s foot had already swelled to almost twice the normal size and Al’s breath was coming out in pained gasps, mouth open.

Dirk cradled Al’s hand in his. ‘Come on, buddy. Deep breaths.’

But Al didn’t seem to hear him; his face contorted in pain as the agony rolled up his body in waves. Dirk noticed his eyes open frantically and moved his knee quickly. After spending years with the man, Dirk knew his tells. 

Al gagged as he threw up into the sand, body convulsing in pain. Dirk heard the Admiral make a noise deep in his throat next to him. 

Al’s face was paler now. He was shaking, body wracked with pained tremors. Even his teeth were chattering. Dirk patted him on his hands. 

They heard the sounds of sirens in the distance, a welcome noise. 

‘Here’s your ride,’ A boy who’d been playing with Al patted Al on the shoulder. ’You need to get the antidote at the hospital, then you’ll be fine.’ 

‘Thanks man, I don’t know…’ Dirk motioned with his hand helplessly. 

‘Don’t mention it. Tourists.’ The boy grinned and winked and Dirk laughed. 

‘Come on, Al.’ he told the prone man lying in front of him. ‘Let’s go see the Docs’  
-x-

The small room was peaceful and had AC, for which Dirk was grateful. He looked over at Al next to him, laid out on a pristine white bed. His foot was bandaged and he was breathing easier now.  
The last 12 hours had been a blur of blood tests, ECG’s and scans. They had taken Al off oxygen about three hours ago and were happy to monitor him for now. 

‘Hey, Al? How ya feeling now, buddy?’ 

Al still had his eyes closed, ‘My foot is on fire. And my toes. And my leg.’ He mumbled back, scrunching up his nose and wincing as he tried to move his toes. ‘Ow.’ 

Dirk laughed softly, reaching out to stroke the back of Al’s hand and up his arm.

‘Well you did put your size elevens on the top of one of the most poisonous fish in the world. I can’t take you anywhere, can I?’ 

Al huffed out a flat laugh, and he opened his eyes blearily, stretching his neck. ‘I feel so sick. Like I could puke any minute.’

‘Uh huh. You could feel like that for days, so says the Doc.’

‘Great. Just great.’ Al was about to say something else when he retched. 

‘Oh, hey!’ Dirk swung the paper bowl he had been given around just in time, catching the vomit expertly. ‘And that’s why they left you a bowl.’

Dirk patted Al gently on the back as the other man spat, moaning weakly. 

‘Why is it always me?’ He groaned, settling back down on his pillows. ‘Bitten by that damned camel in Morroco, now stabbed by a demon fish in Australia!’ 

Dirk laughed and leaned forwards to press a kiss to Al’s head. ‘You just cant stay outta trouble, can ya?’

Al huffed and grimaced again as the pain rolled in again. ‘Ow’

Dirk huffed a laugh and stretched his own legs. 

‘Show off.’ Grunted Al, but he had a grin on his face now. 

‘Admiral still wants to set off tonight at ten,’ Dirk informed him conversationally, taking a swig of Al’s water from his glass. 

‘Sure he does.’ Al tried to roll his eyes, but found it hurt his head too much. 

‘Doc’s have cleared you for sailing. But not for duty.’

Al smiled. ‘Silver linings, I guess.’ 

‘Yep, wrap your foot up in some plastic and you and I can do some snorkling, if you’re nice to me.’

Al grinned and reached over to take Dirk’s hand. ‘Thanks man.’

‘Don’t mention it.’

Dirk reached over and pressed a gentle kiss to Al’s lips. ‘I’ll go see if I cant get you discharged sometime today.’   
Dirk stood up and walked to the door. 

‘Yeah, you do that,’ called Al. ‘And find me a cup of coffee!’

‘Yeah yeah!’ 

Al smiled and laid his head back down, sleep overtaking him again.


End file.
